For data transmission systems (DTSs), measurement of the channel's pulse response, at a receiver of the DTS, is well known as having many important uses. Such uses include, but are not limited to, the design or maintenance of DTSs.
Use of additional test equipment, however, to measure a pulse response at a receiver can pose several disadvantages. First, the physical packaging, of the system whose receiver circuits are to be monitored, can be very dense and not admit of the physical insertion of a probe. Second, for high speed data transfer, the probe itself can significantly change the characteristics of the channel and therefore the analog waveform to be measured.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an alternative to the use of additional test equipment that can be connected in dense packaging environments and/or will not significantly change channel characteristics.
It would also be desirable to provide a technique for measurement of a receiver's pulse response that can be utilized while the receiver continues to receive data.